The Pain We Think We Deserve
by Thuh Tank
Summary: By a happenstance meeting, Beca and Chloe become fast friends. If only certain things didn't keep happening, maybe Beca could allow herself to love something or someone instead of the hate that had once consumed her. Will Chloe's love be enough? Or will Beca's anger hold her captive once again?


**I hadn't always thought I would end up here.**

 **When you are a kid, everything seems to be better when you are older. You have the freedom you've always wanted, the ability to leave, to make your own choices. It's startling once you hit adulthood, you aren't prepared until *BAM* you crash headfirst into a pole or into a ditch.**

 **That's kind of how I got here.**

 **My name is Beca Mitchell, self-proclaimed badass. This is the story of how I died.**

It was a rainy day at Barden University, leaving students drenched and running for shelter. It had rained all week and seemed to go on forever. The gloom seemed to project itself through people's grumpy attitudes and quick temper. Unfortunately, not many escaped the wrath of such people.

"Chloe, how many times have I told you that it is not going to work!" a frantic blonde screeches hysterically, pacing back and forth underneath a grand oak tree.

"Plenty, but do you seriously think I would give up?" the redhead Chloe calls down from where she is perched among the branches.

The blonde kept wringing her hands, with more intense pacing.

"I demand you get down here this instant, Chloe Beale," the blonde states lacking the confidence to be taken too seriously.

"Well Aubrey, it seems you'll have to come up and get me because I'm not gonna," Chloe teased, her grin hidden by the leaves.

"I don't have time for this and you know you'll never get me to climb a tree," Aubrey bites, "You know I'm scared."

"Yes, I get it which is why we are here," Chloe assures her, now hanging upside down the tree branch, her face getting redder, "BUT this is how we are going to get you in the tree... by you climbing it."

Aubrey stops pacing, starts taking deep breaths and calms herself down. She whisper to herself _you got this, just a tree, you can do it._

Hesitantly, she grabs a branch in one hand, the other to grasp Chloe's outstretched hand. Aubrey pulls herself up, with help, using her foot to secure her place in the tree. She desperately hugs the tree branch with a fierce grip.

"Aubrey, you did it!" Chloe exclaims, adjusting her position so both of them could be comfortable.

"It seems I have," Aubrey replies shakily, smiling slightly, "Ok, I am going to look down now. I need to face my fear."

With a determined look she glances down towards the ground and suddenly grows rather weak, almost fainting.

Chloe, seeing Aubrey sway slightly, scampers down like spider-monkey, weaving her way through the branches and grabs her and stabilizes her. Aubrey, not expecting the sudden contact, shrieks and pushes off her "assailant" while maintaining her vice-like grip on the tree. Unfortunately, for Chloe, she too was caught off guard, and lost her balance. Unable to grasp a branch, she falls through the remaining branches and braces herself for a painful landing. She closes her eyes, preparing for the worst, when all of a sudden she lands in a tangled mess of limbs which softened her fall.

The redhead opens her eyes and sees the unconscious brunette underneath.

"Oh my gosh," Chloe breathes frantically, "I killed her. I killed her, I can't believe this."

She runs her hand through her red mane of hair, takes a deep breath.

"Chloe!" a frantic Aubrey bellows. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine! I landed on a girl," Chloe calls back. "I think I killed her."

At this, the brunette starts to stir, slowly regaining consciousness.

Chloe crouches next to her, awaiting to assess the girl's condition.

The brunette's eyes flicker open and quickly flash to confusion and suspicion, before resigning to a pained expression.

"What happened?" the brunette asked, trying to get up but Chloe gently pushed her back down.

"You shouldn't try to sit up just yet, I'm so sorry I fell on you," the redhead apologizes.

"No worries, it's not everyday an angel falls from the sky," the brunette responds groggily. "There seem to be two of you. Your twin is just as hot as you are. I always liked twins"

Chloe blushed and giggled, "Well, I must have knocked you silly."

The brunette gives a smirk, one that is so natural to her it seems as though it is part of her. "Am I in heaven?" the brunette asks, growing spacey.

All of a sudden, a branch snaps and Aubrey falls to the ground landing on top of the dazed brunette.

"Aubrey!" Chloe yells, "Why did you have to fall on her?!"

Aubrey untangles herself from the pile of limbs and huffs, "Well, I can't exactly control where I land."

Looking down at the unconscious brunette girl with concern, Chloe bends down and drapes on of her arms around her shoulder.

"Aubs, a hand please," Chloe looks over at the blonde, who was removing twigs and leaves from her messed up hair. "It's the least you can do after falling on her."

"You fell on her too," Aubrey retorts, draping the brunette's other arm around her shoulder. "I'm not the only one at fault here."

They drag/carry their new "friend" to their car, which was across campus by their apartment, while raising suspicious looks from passerbys.

"Nothing to see here, just had a little too much fun, didn't you," Aubrey attempts to joke, attempting to seem less suspicious.

They make it to their apartment and Aubrey leans the brunette against the car, holding her steady while Chloe runs up to get the keys to the car.

Chloe jogs down, unlocks the car and they gently propped the brunette into the back of their car, and they head to the hospital.

Upon arriving, they drag/carry the brunette into the emergency room and are immediately met by a nurse with a gurney.

"What happened?" the nurse asks, as they load the brunette onto the gurney.

"We sort of fell on her?" Chloe says, "We were climbing a tree and fell on top of her."

"Could you fill out her information," the nurse looks at Chloe, "I am assuming you're friends?"

Chloe gives out a nervous chuckle and shakes her head, "Not exactly, I don't even know her name."


End file.
